CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a story published on Dec. 19, 2021.
On Monday, the Cleveland Clinic announced that it will open a brand new facility to treat COVID-19 patients with long-lasting symptoms.
The patients, often referred to as "long haulers," oftentimes experience symptoms for weeks and months after they have recovered from an initial bout with coronavirus.
The reCOVer clinic will be a collaboration between Cleveland Clinic specialists from 18 different departments, including cardiology, pulmonology, dermatology, ear nose and throat.
“There is currently research going on to determine how many people with COVID-19 infections have symptoms that do not resolve,” said Kristin Englund, M.D., an infectious disease physician who leads the reCOVer clinic. “However, we know that patients with lingering COVID-19 symptoms aren’t necessarily those who were hospitalized with severe cases initially. Many patients have had a fairly mild infection, yet, symptoms have persisted more than four weeks or potentially worsened after time.”
The reCOVer clinic is the second of its kind in the area; just last month, MetroHealth announced that they would be opening a clinic to help COVID-19 patients dealing with pesky symptoms that persist.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, all patients through the reCOVer clinic will undergo a series of exams and tests that will give the team a full and comprehensive look at the person's health. The tests will include workups with cardio, pulmonary, physical therapists, and more. Patients will then meet with their reCOVer clinic providers to discuss the road ahead.
“We are committed to helping these patients, whose lives have been interrupted for weeks or months due to long COVID-19 symptoms,” said William Lago, M.D., a family medicine physician who was also involved in the development of the reCOVer clinic. “Like COVID-19 itself, long COVID-19 can include a wide array of symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent fatigue and memory difficulties. However, many other factors also can contribute to what our patients are experiencing. This is a complex condition and one that we are understanding more about every day. By taking the time to perform multidisciplinary, comprehensive evaluations, we believe we can best partner with our patients in putting together treatment plans and setting them on a path to wellness.”
If you are unsure if you have long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms, the Cleveland Clinic suggests contacting your primary care physician to start.
Watch the video below for Dr. Englund's breakdown of evolving knowledge about "long COVID" patients, and how the reCOVer clinic will works, on the 3 Things to Know with Stephanie Haney podcast.
Editor's note: the video in the player below is from a story published on Dec. 19, 2020.